Editorial Conventions v1.0 (TXID links + stack display)

[aaron-recompile]

Purpose

Define stable manuscript formatting conventions for cross-platform consistency (GitHub, Leanpub, PDF).

Scope

Applies to book/manuscript/Chapter 01-08 first, then can be extended to later chapters.

Conventions

1) Transaction Link Formatting

• Use symmetric TXID abbreviation: 8+8 format (e.g., f4184fc5...831e9e16)
• Use clickable links for TXIDs
• Use explorer URLs with ?showDetails=true
• First appearance in a chapter should be fully link-backed
• Later appearances may be abbreviated, but style must remain consistent

2) Stack / ASCII Display Formatting

• Use fixed-width ASCII layout
• Use fixed padding (aligned borders and columns)
• Use internal ellipsis for long hex values
• Put human-readable explanations outside the stack box
• Avoid emoji in alignment-sensitive blocks (ASCII tables/stack diagrams)

3) Character Stability Rules

• Prefer ASCII in alignment-sensitive sections
• Replace unstable symbols in code-like teaching output:
  • ✓ -> [OK]
  • ❌ -> [Wrong]
  • → -> ->
  • × -> *

Non-goals

• No protocol logic changes in formatting PRs
• No restructuring chapter narrative in formatting-only PRs

Review policy

Formatting PRs should:

• Keep meaning unchanged
• Be chapter-scoped and easy to review
• Follow the conventions above exactly

Thanks to contributors helping improve consistency and readability.